Report: Sporting KC Closest MLS Team to Sign Cristiano Ronaldo Pre-Al-Nassr Contract
Dec 31, 2022
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - DECEMBER 30: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY â MANDATORY CREDIT - "ALL NASSR FOOTBALL CLUB / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo poses for a photo with the jersey after signing with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 30, 2022. (Photo by Al Nassr Football Club / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Sporting KC was reportedly the closest MLS club to signing Cristiano Ronaldo, per multiple reports, before the veteran striker signed with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr on Friday.
Sources can confirm: Sporting KC were the MLS team that came closest to signing Cristiano Ronaldo. Talks ongoing for weeks, it was a real possibility.
This might be the biggest disappointment: Watching Peter Vermes deal with the media circus. I think he would have handled it very well and more people would find out he's a funny guy and not the drill sergeant he looks like on the sidelines.https://t.co/JJowAe0Cin
"I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia," Ronaldo said on Friday after making the decision to continue his club career in Saudi Arabia.
🗣️ Al-Nassr president Musalli Al-Muammar on signing Cristiano Ronaldo https://t.co/0d4T0wobi7
The 37-year-old went scorched earth at Manchester United in an effort to depart the club, going so far as to rip ownership and manager Erik ten Hag in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Manchester United responded by terminating his contract.
The original belief was that Ronaldo was seeking a move to a Champions League club. But when no such move materialized, likely because of Ronaldo's waning impact but massive wages, he instead joined Al-Nassr on what are reportedly astronomical wages:
Here’s Cristiano Ronaldo with Al Nassr shirt after contract signed until June 2025 🚨🇵🇹🇸🇦 #Ronaldo
▫️ Agreement valid for two years and half;
▫️ Total salary will be close to €200m per year, but this includes commercial deal.
Ronaldo's salary will be $75m a year. With image rights payments that number will more than double. He will have unprecedented power, right up to sacking the coach should he wish. Al Nassr prepared to become "Cristiano FC" in the words of one source. https://t.co/mf5VheWUPN
Cristiano Ronaldo signing for Al-Nassr after being unable to find a Champions League club. European teams declined to pay £80k pw to take Ronaldo last summer when #MUFC explored exit.
He’ll earn lots more in Saudi Arabia but not career finale envisioned.https://t.co/KzRQfLM9OO
"I'm thrilled for a new experience in a different league and a different country, the vision that Al-Nassr has is very inspiring," Ronaldo said. "I'm very excited to join my teammates, and to help the team to achieve more success."
It's somewhat hard to imagine that an MLS club could have offered a similar deal to the one Ronaldo received in Saudi Arabia, though a number of older stars have made their way to the MLS in the past, including David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, among others.
But none are a global icon the likes of Ronaldo, who has the most Instagram followers among individuals in the world. Without question, he would have been the biggest star in the history of MLS, and would have drawn major attention to the league.
Instead, Ronaldo fans from around the world might have to find ways to stream Saudi Pro League matches to keep up with the Portuguese dynamo.
Sporting Kansas City's Felipe Hernandez Suspended for Betting on MLS Matches
Oct 8, 2021
FRISCO, TX - OCTOBER 14: Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez (#21) kicks the ball during the game between FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City on October 14, 2020 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Sporting Kansas City will not have midfielder Felipe Hernandez for the rest of the season after Major League Soccer announced Friday he was suspended without pay for gambling on MLS matches.
MLS said Hernandez violated the league's gambling integrity rules and standards of conduct and had been suspended since July while the league and law enforcement investigated him.
He disclosed to the team in July that he was worried about his safety because of gambling debts, which kickstarted the investigation.
The investigation determined Hernandez gambled on two MLS matches as a member of Sporting Kansas City, although neither was a game involving his team. It also found no evidence suggesting any other MLS player gambled on league matches.
"No evidence was found that the integrity of any MLS match was impacted by the sports gambling activities under investigation," the announcement read.
The midfielder will be eligible for reinstatement at the end of the calendar year as long as he follows "certain directives, including ongoing counseling." The release noted he cooperated with the MLS' investigation.
Hernandez made four starts for Sporting Kansas City this year and finished the season with one goal, two assists and 13 shots. The goal was his first at the MLS level.
Sporting Kansas City has 52 points on the season and is in second place in the Western Conference standings. It is two points behind the Seattle Sounders, who have a game in hand.
Next up is a game against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Oct. 17.
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Joins Sporting KC Ownership Group
Jul 27, 2021
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) warms up with teammates during the NFL football team's minicamp Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Patrick Mahomes is furthering his commitment to Kansas City.
The Chiefs quarterback, who is already a part owner of MLB's Royals, was announced as a new investor in Sporting KC on Tuesday.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join Sporting Kansas City’s ownership team and strengthen my connection to the fans and the city I love,” Mahomes said in a statement. “Sporting is a community-oriented club and I am excited to continue supporting the growth of soccer in Kansas City.”
Mahomes' fiancee, Brittany Matthews, is also a part owner of the Kansas City NWSL team.
Sporting KC is coming off a 2020 season that saw it win the Western Conference in the regular season before being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
'The Academy,' Episode 3 Trailer
Nov 2, 2020
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Their stories begin all over the world. Their soccer journeys can change lives.
